


Don't Forget the Mistletoe

by ifijustsayhello



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 07:39:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13142094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifijustsayhello/pseuds/ifijustsayhello
Summary: Holiday themed one-shot where Ben is with the resistance, post TLJ. The gang is decorating the Millennium Falcon with some decorations Rey found. Lots of fluff!





	Don't Forget the Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimers:  
> 1\. I have not written any fanfiction in literally years.  
> 2\. This is my first ever Star Wars piece.  
> 3\. I have not seen the Star Wars Holiday special so I don't know what the actual cannon traditions are so sorry but just roll with it.  
> 4\. I don't explicitly say it but my idea was that Ben defected to the resistance and Rey let him onto the Millennium Falcon to escape Crait.
> 
> This was fun! I've been sucked back into fandom life hardcore by Kylo Ren/Ben Solo so I hope to write some more about his undying love for Rey in the near future.

The Millennium Falcon has never looked so cheerful. White lights are strung across each walkway and wrapped around every pipe. Colorful bulbs run around the main cabin. The passengers’ wounds are still fresh from their recent escape but you wouldn’t know it from the peaceful air about them.

Ben sits with his legs crossed, hunched over a tangled mass of lights. He swats at BB-8 as it dances around him, trying to tug on loose ends.

Rey points to an uncovered beam. “There, Chewie. That’s the spot.”

He tries to lift the strand of colored lights so he can wrap the spot but finds it’s caught on something. He looks down to see BB-8 has wrapped itself up in the lights and is bobbing its head proudly. He gives a forceful roar and yanks on the strand. BB-8 beeps as it’s flung, spinning across the cabin.

Poe catches his droid and steadies its reeling head. “Careful, BB-8! I know you want to help buddy but you gotta let the Wookie do his thing.”

BB-8 gives a defeated beep and hangs its head.

Rey chuckles. “It’s alright, BB-8. You can help the others with the Cookies.”

BB-8 gives a begrudging beep and rolls out of the room. Poe watches his droid go and then turns back to watch Rey, Chewbacca, and Ben. He folds his arms and leans against the wall, head cocked.

“Where did you even find these old things?”

Rey starts, surprised that he’s still there. “They were tucked away in some cabinets.”

“Never pictured Han Solo to be the festive type.”

Ben pretends not to look up at the mention of his father’s name. Chewbacca roars defiantly.

Rey turns back to Chewie. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t listen to the sentimental furball.” General Leia walks into the room with a box of garlands and dumps it on the ground. “Han wasn’t. But we are.” She rummages around in the box until she finds her mark. She hides the innocuous plant behind her back. Poe grabs a garland from the box and starts wrapping.

Leia bends down next to her son and holds the mistletoe above her head. She pecks him on the cheek. “Find a good spot for that, Ben.” Leia hands him the plant.

“Mom!” He blushes and glances at Rey out of the corner of his eye. He reddens more at the sight of her beaming smile. He sets it down next to himself and returns to the tangled mess of lights.

General Leia grins and returns to her box. She pulls a garland out and begins wrapping it around a bare post. “It’s nice to see The Falcon decorated again.”

Chewbacca nods his head and roars in agreement. 

_BANG._ _Frantic beeping._

C-3PO yells from the the other room, “This is most certainly  _ not _ a safe holiday tradition!”

“Damn droid.” Poe drops his garland and runs out of the room to find out what trouble BB-8 has gotten itself into this time.

“Should we help too?” Rey hesitates.

Leia is wholly unconcerned. “If I ran off everytime C-3PO said something was unsafe I would never get anything done.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

The four work their way across the room. They only have a few more posts to cover when Ben loses it.

“I don’t understand why we can’t just use the force!” He throws the mass of tangled lights on the ground and leaves his empty hands hanging open next to his head. Leia furrows her brow and watches her son, unsure how to handle the remnants of this volatile personality which stole him away from her the first time.

Rey calmly steps to his side and places a hand on his shoulder. His solid frame expands and contracts with a large breath and he reaches across his chest to rest a hand on top of hers. The contact soothes him and he lets go after another, smaller breath. She runs her other hand through his hair before returning to her spot with Chewie.

Leia’s voice is steady. “We’re almost done.”

It only takes the general a few more minutes to empty the box. She picks it up and heads out of the cabin. “I’m going to go see if I can find your old snowglobes, Ben.”

“Okay.” He doesn’t look up from the lights. Leia waits a moment for him to make eye contact before she gives up and leaves. Rey frowns at the exchange but continues directing Chewie on where to hang the lights.

When Ben finally pulls the last knot out he triumphantly jumps to his feet and hands the end to Chewbacca. The wookie roars in approval and wraps the last bit of light.

“Perfect! Great job, boys.” Rey pulls the two into her side for a hug. Chewbacca leans into it, resting his head on top of hers. Ben looks away but doesn’t resist her pull.

They break apart and Chewbacca roars to Rey. She laughs.

“That’s a good idea, Chewie. I’ll clean up in here and then join you. Save us some cookie dough, will you?”

Chewbacca gives a short roar and lumbers away.

She calls after him, “You better try!”

She turns to Ben with a soft grin on her face. He is taking in the familiar sight of the Millennium Falcon. He’s pretty much forgotten what it feels like to be here. And it’s even more strange to see it with the decorations up. He remembers how excited he used to get when they pulled out the boxes; how his dad would lift him on his shoulders to reach the high spots; how his mom would burn at least two batches of cookies without fail each year. So much has changed but he can still feel an echo of that joy. It’s coming back to him. 

Ben turns to see Rey gathering the empty light boxes. “Here, I can help with that.”

“Oh, thanks.” She smiles at him as they stack all the boxes up. “You know, I’ve never seen this many lights in one room. Holidays are really something special when you have people to spend them with.”

Ben frowns at the sudden heart wrenching vision of young, abandoned Rey sitting alone in the dark as another holiday passes.

“I mean, I didn’t even know that putting up lights was part of it. Or the cookies. Or presents! I’m very excited for that part. I think you’re really going to like what I got you.” She beams at him.

“You...got me a present, Rey?” Ben picks up the stack of boxes.

“Yeah! Rose said that was part of holidays? That you get the people you care about gifts.”

Before he can fully process what Rey just said, she bends down to pick something up next to his feet.

“Oh! You forgot this.” Rey holds the mistletoe out to Ben. It hangs in the air between them.

Ben swallows. His eyes slide down to her lips.  _ Does she want me to? _

He watches intently as she pulls her arm back and dangles the object above her eyes so she can examine the unique bundle of leaves. “What system does this even come from? And why didn’t Leia hang it up herself?”

“It’s complicated.”

Rey’s arm is frozen as she turns her head to meet his gaze.

“Ben?”

His eyes are locked onto hers. He closes the small space between them. She starts to let her arm drop but he gently wraps his enormous hand around her wrist and guides it back above her head.

“You’re supposed to hold it there.”

A shiver runs up her neck and she scrambles just enough breath together to get out a very quiet, “why?”

He bends down so his face is right in front of hers. “Because,” he brings a hand up to her cheek and angles his head, “then I get to kiss you.” He closes his eyes and gently presses his lips to hers.

She feels and thinks a thousand things at once. Time happens so fast in that moment. Her pulse races so fast she can feel her veins trying to burst their way out of her skin. She’s never kissed anyone before but she instantly understands the appeal. _Wait a minute, this is the same guy that kidnapped me._ Rey feels the familiar softness of his hair and realizes that she’s dug her fingers into it. _He’s also the same guy that turned his back on the First Order to save me._ He switches angles and she feels his hand press into the small of her back. She drops the mistletoe and rests her hand on his neck. _But he was only with the First Order in the first place because he betrayed his family._ His hand slides from her cheek to the back of her neck and grips her hair. Her mouth widens in response. _But that’s not true...they betrayed him first. He showed me. I’ve seen his mind. And he’s seen mine._ _I know him._ She feels his tongue enter her mouth and all thoughts cease.

Ben is just coming back to his senses and is about to pull away when she takes a soft bite out of his lip. The sensation of her teeth on his lips ignites something inside of him and before even he knows what’s happening his hands are holding onto her ass as her legs wrap around his torso. He carries her towards a wall, ready to press her into the first sturdy object he can get to.

“Uh…”

Rey feels annoyance before she places the voice and remembers where she is. Her feet drop to the ground and she lets go of Ben.

“Finn! Hi! We were just…”

Ben does not let go of her. He keeps a hand on her hip and runs his other through his hair.

He looks at Finn. “Mistletoe.”

“Okay…” Finn looks between the pair. “How long have you two been...mistletoeing?”

Rey is bright red. “We haven’t-”

“Nevermind. I don’t want to know anything about any of this. I don’t care. I came to see if you guys wanted to help decorate the cookies.”

Rey exhales a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Yeah we just need to put these boxes away. Ben could you…” She turns around to face him and he lets his hand slide across her back with the motion. He’s looking at her the same way he always has but she’s just now realizing exactly what that look means.

Finn clears his throat.

Ben slides his hand off her hip and kisses her rosey cheek. “I’ll get them”

Rey turns back to Finn, afraid to face his expression. To her surprise Finn has two thumbs up and is enthusiastically mouthing “YEAH!” She smiles at him and suppresses a laugh. 

“Okay well we’ll see you out there,” Rey hints. Ben hands her a stack of boxes.

“Yeah good luck with those boxes.” Finn smirks. “And don’t forget that mistletoe.”

Ben balances his boxes in one arm and rests his free hand on Rey’s shoulder. “We won’t.”

Finn crosses his arms and leaves the cabin.

Rey shuffles her boxes to one arm so she can pick up the discarded mistletoe. “So is it an actual rule that whenever I hold this over my head you have to kiss me? Is that how this works?”

Ben smiles. “Absolutely.”

Rey locks eyes with him as she slowly raises the mistletoe above her head again. He leans in around her stack of boxes and kisses her softly.

“This is a good holiday tradition.”

A soft laugh bubbles up from Ben’s chest. “I agree.”

Rey lowers the mistletoe and Ben takes her hand. They hold the bundle of leaves together and leave the room of colorful lights.


End file.
